When Winter Meets Steel
by Xescay
Summary: When Ed and Al go to Briggs, they meet a girl by the name of Crystal. Story's better than summary. Ed X OC.


Yay~

My second FMA fanfic!

Once again, it's a commission for FullMetalWing. Crystal belongs to FullMetalWing.

i hope you enjoy the story~

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><p>A young woman looked out of the window, a small smile gracing her face. Her sapphire eyes sparkled, even in the dim light of the wintry grey dawn. A few snowflakes drifted down from the eternally cloudy skies. She tucked her hazel hair behind her ear and got out the finely carved pocket watch that she wore around her neck. She traced the engraved lines on its surface with an air of melancholy before flipping it open and checking the time. It was a little before six in the morning. She turned around and exited the room. It was time to join the mountain patrol squad.<p>

The landscape consisted of only two colours – black and white. It looked as if a mad artist had taken out a blank canvas, coloured it in white, then dabbed a few splotches of black here and there. The fresh snow crunched underfoot, the dry crackling sound filling the air as the patrol wordlessly made its way through the bleak terrain. Suddenly, Buccaneer, who was at the head of the group, put up his left hand and signalled for the group to halt. An ominous silence filled the frigid air. The sound of footsteps – magnified by the empty landscape – could be heard easily. Slowly, the bear-like man stepped to the source of the noise. His silhouette disappeared behind a thick cloak of mist. A suspenseful minute passed. A pair of terrified voices pierced the thick air, followed by the _whump_ of a net trapping a person. The patrol squad hurried to aid their leader. They subdued the second of the suspicious-seeming group within moments.

"Well then," the mohawk-ponytailed man spoke. "Let's get them to the General, shall we?"

The young lady stood at attention as she listened to the general's conversation with the two presumed spies. Slowly, her mind began to wander as the conversation drew on, and she managed to hear only snippets of the conversation – something about the general's brother, Alex, limited clearance, and judging people with one's own eyes.

"Hoplyne," the lady-general's voice drew her back to reality. "Give these two a quick tour of our fort. Miles will give them a more detailed tour after lunch."

Nodding, the girl beckoned the duo to follow her out of the room. Once they had exited the chamber, she turned and asked the duo their names. Her question was met with a snort and a remark about not listening from the shorter guy, and an earnest 'Alphonse' from the boy in the suit.

"Well?" the girl prompted the blonde guy. "What's your name?"

"Edward Elric," the guy said after a while. "The Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Nice to meet you," the girl smiled. "I'm Crystal Hoplyne. Please, call me Cryst. I'm hoping to become a State Alchemist when I'm older." She checked her pocket watch – only half an hour before lunch in the mess hall. "Let's get going, shall we?"

Compressing a tour of Briggs, even a general one, into half an hour was hard enough to border upon impossible. It was an exhausting job that the General had given the fledgling alchemist, but Crystal was determined to see the task at hand through to the end. The severe lady had given her the job because she felt that, despite how taxing it would be, she had the ability to see it to the end. That thought in itself empowered and inspired her to see the task through to best of her ability. As she showed the Elric brothers the interior workings of the infamous fort, she noticed that the shorter of the siblings had an inability of some kind to sit still. Gradually, as the half-hour wore on, she and Alphonse grew closer to one another, often chatting about their likes and dislikes. Edward, however, remained bad-tempered and opted to stay at an arm's length from the brunette, joining in to the conversation occasionally to add in a sardonic remark here and there. Crystal checked her pocket watch – it was time to get to the mess hall.

"Come on," she smiled. Maybe the shorter man's foul mood would get better after he'd had something warm to eat. "We'd better get something to eat before all the food disappears."

"Hi, Buccaneer!" Crystal smiled as she placed her tray on the table and took her usual spot beside the captain.

"Hello, Cryst. How were the two spies?"

"They're not spies, Buccaneer," Crystal told her superior. One's a State Alchemist, and the other's his brother."

"That's probably just their cover story. I still reckon they're Dracham spies, sent to see how we're doing. And even if they're not spies, I still don't like it."

"Why not?"

"I can't believe that a pipsqueak like him has got a position higher than mine! I mean I'd be fine if it were you, I'd be real proud of you, but this shortie's not you, so…"

"Who're you calling 'shortie' and 'pipsqueak'?" Edward loomed out of the bustling crowd.

"Brother, calm down!" Alphonse tried desperately to get his brother to compose himself, but to no avail.

"You want a fight?"

"Sure, bring it."

"Oi, oi! Buccaneer! Edward! Calm down! This is a place to eat, not fight!"

Crystal sighed. Well, food had most certainly not helped the Fullmetal Alchemist's foul temper. She ran a hand through her hair and exhaled again. She was needed in the lowest level of the fort in five minutes, where she had to meet up with Miles, who was showing the Elric brothers around the places she hadn't gotten to.

The lowest level of the Briggs Fort was the warmest of all the levels. It was the heart of the place, and it was where all the most important parts that held the structure together were. Hurriedly, Crystal rushed to join Falman and the Elric brothers.

"What did I miss?" Crystal asked as she stood beside the second lieutenant.

"Nothing much," the man said. "I'm just telling them a bit about this place."

"Hey kids, move out of the way," a guy wearing a yellow hard hat shoved his way between the Elric brothers. "Not a great place to stand."

"Oh, sorry," Ed apologised.

Two other men, wearing grey, beckoned the man to a pipe. "Hey Bobby, it's this pipe. Over here!"

The guy called Bobby put his ear to the pipe. "It's coming…" he put his ear to the ground, "from underground."

"What?" One of the grey-suited guys exclaimed.

"Sounds like, like someone's digging through the rock."

As the grey-wearing guy talked, the digging sounds got louder. The ground began to shake beneath everyone's feet. Large cracks appeared on the ground, spreading like spider webs across the concrete ground. A head appeared from the hole in the ground, followed by an overly muscular body.

"A homunculus," Ed breathed as he noticed the red symbol on the giant's body.

All eyes were on the strange being as it stared blankly at everyone with its small beady eye. Suddenly, its body drooped, and it fell asleep. Ed and Al yelled something barely comprehensible, causing the giant to awaken.

"What's this?" it mumbled slowly.

"I'm guessing the creep guy back in Central who you call Father told you about us," Edward said.

"But you see, we're just trying to get out bodies back, that's all," Al tried to reason with the hulking giant.

"Why should I care about you?" the bumbling colossus asked. He continued to speak as he walked slowly to the right, each step he took causing the ground to shake below.

"You mean he doesn't know about us?" Ed wondered.

Al crouched down and whispered to his brother. "You know, I don't he's heard about us from Father _or_ Führer Bradley."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a gunshot, and Ed leapt into the air.

"Ah hah! So it turns out that you really _are_ Drachan spies!" Buccaneer growled dangerously.

"No we're not!" Ed and Al cried in unison.

"I saw you talking to the intruder like you knew who he was!"

"No we weren't!"

"Your lies won't fool me!"

Crystal watched the proceedings, a silent sigh playing upon her lips. Why were all men so hot-headed? Suddenly, a pipe soared through the sky, and crashed on the ground, barely missing the two siblings. Crystal turned to glance at who had thrown the pipe – the strange intruder.

"What is this place?" he mumbled as he turned to gaze at the grey-clothed workers, who tried to get away. He continued speak as he slowly walked to the workers. There was a yell of 'fire', followed by the sound of guns being fired. The bullets seemed to do nothing in hindering the hulking colossus.

"The guns aren't affecting him at all!"

The homunculus took an elevator up. Soldiers were ordered to follow the giant and stop him.

"Let's see if we can help!" Ed and Al followed the soldiers.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Crystal stumbled over her feet, but regained her balance and ran behind the siblings as she tried to catch up to them. Sirens blared as the fort prepared to battle the giant. Crystal winced as she passed by the blaring sirens – they were so loud and annoying! She glanced up ahead. She could hear the homunculus's mumbles and the tanks' firing. There was also General Armstrong's voice, as she shouted orders above the sounds of the fighting. There were screams, and the sound of something heavy being lifted.

"Edward, here!" Crystal pointed to the left. "I think he's this way!"

"Yeah, me too," Ed turned to the left. There were screams this time, and the sound of something heavy being thrown. Ed rushed into the room and clapped his hands, then touched the ground. Blue electricity crackled for a while as a hand emerged from the stone. The shelf thudded into the stone hand, before bouncing to the ground.

"Wow," Crystal gaped. "That's amazing!" Something warm within her rose. A feeling within her began to blossom. It was a feeling that she could not quite put her finger on yet. It was a mixture between admiration and amazement. Could it be…?

Ed breathed a sigh of relief. None of the people had been hurt. "It won't work!" He ran up to the general, who was mounted on a tank. "Try whatever you want to, but he won't die!"

"He won't?" the general stood up.

Buccaneer stepped forward. "Just what are you saying? How does a kid like you know something like that, huh?"

"Be-because we…"

The general's sword hit the surface of the tank with a clang. "Drop the act! You will answer all my questions clearly and completely. First off, how do you know about that thing? Are you a Drachan spy?" Her sapphire eyes gazed interrogatively at the blond man.

"I'm not!"

She pointed her sword toward the homunculus. "Is that thing a spy?"

"I really doubt it."

"Does that thing know you?"

"No, apparently not."

"What is that thing?"

Ed froze. "…I can't answer," he said after a while.

"Who did that thing work for?"

"I can't answer that!"

Azure eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why can't you answer me?"

"I can't answer."

The general took on a domineering stance. She thought for a while, before speaking, "This is my last question. Are you on our side, or are you in league with that thing?"

"I'm not with him. I don't want to see anyone get hurt."

The general seemed to accept his answer. "Then tell me what that thing's made of."

"His body structure and composition elements are probably the same as a human's."

"The same as a human's, huh?" She was silent for a while. "Buccaneer, bring me some tank fuel, now! We're going to douse it."

"Sir!" Buccaneer said before taking off for what the woman had requested.

"I told you, it won't work, General! You can set him on fire, but he still won't die!"

"I understand. I've learnt from our last attack that we can't kill it. The best that we can hope for is to stop or delay it," she said. She turned to glance at the hulking figure, which had begun to move again. "So we'll have to hit it with something even stronger than fire."

She smirked. "Now you'll get to see the Briggs way, kid."

"Uh, 'the Briggs way'?

"That's right," Buccaneer slammed his hand down on Ed's head, "com alchemist. Gimme your head." He picked the boy up.

"Brother!"

"You too, tinman."

"Hey, hang on, we can't just-" Ed paused as Buccaneer pressed a gun to his forehead.

"You are forced to help us under duress," the tall man grinned. "How does that excuse work for ya?" He took a step forward. "Who's this?"

"He's an old friend of ours," Ed said.

"Ah, then he'll help too. Cryst, you too."

The brunette girl nodded. She picked up a can of fuel and followed Buccaneer up the stairs. The bear-like man was holding a can of the petrol on his shoulder with one hand, and held a gun in his other hand.

"Let's move! Drive it into the elevator!" Armstrong yelled.

Crystal watched the scene below, but decided to stop and look where she was going when she almost tripped over and spilt the fuel. She could hear the distant sounds of the tanks ramming into the behemoth and trying to push him into the elevator. There was also the general's voice as she ordered her people. She glanced down at the scene one last time. _Please stay safe._

Quietly, she crouched down in the shaft. The giant was headed their way! Her heartbeat began to race. Was it adrenaline? Or was it the fact that – she glanced at the boy beside her – that _he_ was here? Buccaneer raced toward the homunculus and grabbed his arm. No, she needed to pay attention. The bear-ish man threw the giant over his shoulder.

"Alright, do it now!" he yelled.

Instantaneously, three tanks of fuel were poured onto the false human, which were then followed by Al, who splashed the clear fuel onto the giant's back.

"Nice!" Buccaneer exclaimed.

"We did it!" Crystal celebrated as she rushed down from the platform, and onto the deck.

"Ok, what next?" Al asked.

"Yeah, how were you planning to get this big guy out the gates exactly?" Ed added.

The elevator dinged, and the heavy doors opened to reveal a tank – Armstrong's tank – as it moved forward. The general leaned heavily on the metal vehicle, a murderous look on her face.  
>"Move it!" she yelled. "You little runt!"<p>

The wheeled ground into the floor, causing sparks to fly everywhere. A shot was fired, the force behind the bullet pushing the homunculus out of the room. He groaned as the bullet fell out of his stomach.

"Hey, one more," the general barked.

"We're out of ammo!"

"Well then, in that case," Falman said. He shot two bullets from his gun, making the icicles above the super-sized man's head to fall down. His body swayed as he bordered upon losing consciousness. The Elric brothers yelled in unison as they ran up to the homunculus and kicked him, pushing him over the balcony and into the frigid snow below, where he began to freeze.

"Yay!" Crystal cheered as she looked down the balcony and saw only whiteness. "We did it!" She turned to the elder of the Elric brothers. "And you, you were _amazing_."

What was this feeling that was welling up in her chest? It was so warm, so precious. It felt like there was a little bird in her chest that was trying desperately to escape. Whenever she glanced at the short-tempered man, her hart began to race, and her mind begun to get muddled up. _Could this be?_ She wondered to herself. _Could this be what they call… love?_

~WHEN WINTER MEETS STEEL OMAKE: FIRST CONFESSION~

"Ok, I want you, Hoplyne, to go with Elric – the older one – and get some supplies for us in time for Christmas," the blonde general said. "Here's a list of things you need to buy. Here's your money. Now go get the kid and come back before the blizzard comes."

Crystal caught the items that were thrown at her. She inspected the list. _Ok, that seems pretty basic_.

"Wait, hang on," the general's words had finally sunk in. "Did you just say 'blizzard'?"

"Yes, now hurry up. The blizzard comes in an hour or two."

"But I don't wanna go if there's a blizzard!" Cryst cried as Miles pushed her out of the room.

North City was a beautiful place that was covered in snow all year round. The buildings were all very fine and elegant-looking (especially when compared to the bleak-seeming fort). Crystal gasped in wonder as she stepped into the plaza. It was a place reminiscent of a fancy restaurant, with a pianist fingering a complicated piece on a dark grand piano. A chandelier hung above, illuminating the large hall.

"Ok, Edward, I'll go get this stuff, and you get this stuff, and we both meet up here in an hour, ok?"

"Sounds good to me," the blond man took one of the lists and began to walk away, reading his list as he did.

~AN HOUR LATER~

"Where _is_ Edward hiding?" Cryst paced angrily back and forth. She spun when she heard some guys giggling. She glared at them, which served only to make them laugh louder. One of them pointed at the space above her, and when she glanced upward, a furious blush began to blossom upon her cheeks. One of the guys approached her, a creepy grin on his face.

"No, that's not, I mean, I-!" she was cut off by a pair of warm lips encasing her own. She tried to escape the embrace her mysterious kisser held her in, but found his grip too strong. She glanced at the creeps who had been laughing at her. The guy who was kissing her was not the one who'd tried to kiss her before, so who was it…

"Ed?" Cryst asked when she was finally released from the hold. "Why did you…?"

"Isn't it obvious? You were about to get kissed by some weird guy," Edward said nonchalantly. "And besides," he began to fidget with the hem of his shirt. "I like you."

A blush began to creep its way across Cryst's face. "I-I, um, I li-like you too."

"Really?" Hopeful golden eyes glanced up at her. "Really?"

"Of course! I would never lie about this sort of thing!" Crystal's heart was pounding, now. She felt lightheaded, like she was floating in the sky, or reclining on fluffy clouds. That warm feeling in her chest had returned. It felt as if the bird had finally escaped its cage, and found happiness and freedom.

Ed's hand cradled the girl's cheek as he leaned in closer to kiss her again. "I love you, Crystal Hoplyne. Please, allow me to share my life with you. I don't have much to give you, but I hope my love, my heart, by very being will be enough to prove to you that I love you."

"Edward…" Crystal whispered.

"Call me Ed."  
>"Ed… If I accept your love, heart and very being, will you accept mine?"<p>

"Gladly," Ed closed the gap between them with a heart-warming kiss. Everything about the kiss felt perfect – the sweetness of their breaths as they mingled in the cool air, the simple and innocent love between them. All onlookers watched with happiness for the new couple. Finally, after what seemed like an age, their lips parted, and their eyes looked deeply into one another's. The crowd clapped their approval of the duo as they leaned in to kiss a third time. Crystal and Edward jerked away at the applause.

"Huh?" Crystal blinked. Reality soon came rushing back to her. "Oh my god… I can't believe that I did that… I a public place, too!" Her cheeks quickly became warm and tinted with red. She buried her face in her gloved hands. "I can't believe I did that! I'm so sorry, Ed! I should have stopped myself, and now there's a bunch of people watching…"

"Why are you sorry?" Ed queried. "They're happy for us."

"Huh? Really? They're not clapping because they thought it was stupid of us to kiss in public?"

Edward stifled a laugh at her question. "If they had thought it stupid, then they would have laughed."

"I guess…" Crystal was still uncomfortable with what had happened.

"Anyway, come on, let's go. There's a blizzard coming, right?" Ed picked up a few bags. "Let's get going, Cryst."

"Uh, ok," the brunette girl blinked and grabbed her shopping bags. "Yeah, ok, let's go!"

They walked together out of the shopping centre, their hands in one another's, and their hearts connected by an irreplaceable bond that would never break.

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><p>Aaaand. that's the end. Please R&amp;R, as that encourages my muses to write. I hope that you enjoyed the story, and if you wish to get a commission from me, please visit xescay(dot)deviantart(dot)comjournal/Point-Commisions-EDIT-278952229 for more info. Thank you~


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